Dead opossum in back yard provided breakfast for turkey vulture. Gruesome.
Missed subsequent great photo opp that Tim pointed out: vulture sitting like grim figurehead at front peak of detached garage (a.k.a. "boathouse"). It flew away as I was lining up the shot.
While running errands, we could see rain coming in, and I came up with an original good ol' Carolina sayin': "A dry possum is lighter than a wet possum." Nothing like an F150 to bring on the back-country muse.
So, when we returned, before the rain fell Tim bravely scooped up the pitiful carcass with a shovel and dumped it in the Wild. I tried to steel myself to do this, which I figured was an obligation of a Woman of the Croatan. But, couldn't, quite (its sad little feet....!). I did watch stoically, with a garden hoe, in case Tim needed back-up, and thanked him.
From Wikipedia: "An early description of the opossum comes from explorer John Smith, who wrote in Map of Virginia, with a Description of the Countrey, the Commodities, People, Government and Religion in 1608 that 'An Opassom hath an head like a Swine, and a taile like a Rat, and is of the bignes of a Cat. Under her belly she hath a bagge, wherein she lodgeth, carrieth, and sucketh her young.'"
Pax vobiscum, hodge-podge marsupial.
A true crik woman would have made possum stew.
ReplyDeleteIndeed--AND would've preserved (in the smokehouse out back) turkey vulture for next Thanksgiving.
ReplyDelete(I doubt folks at the Newcomers Club Wine Tasting would appreciate Endive and Goat Cheese with Opposum Chunklets on Melba Rounds as a potluck appetizer.)